CELEBRITIES AND DIGNITARIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD CELEBRATE HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS ON INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS NIGHT, DECEMBER 18, 2025

The Claims Conference Brings Together Celebrities, Government Leaders And Dignitaries From 17 Countries In A Global Event To Honor Holocaust Survivors And Celebrate Resilience.

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) announced today the annual International Holocaust Survivors Night will be held virtually on the fifth night of Chanukah, Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The event can be streamed live at the following link: www.Claimscon.org/SurvivorsNight2025 

This year's event is hosted by actor and director Noah Emmerich alongside Claims Conference Executive Vice President Greg Schneider. The theme for the virtual event honoring Holocaust survivors around the world is "Resilience."

Celebrity greetings this year will include messages from Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner Barbra Streisand, Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Debra Messing, Jason Alexander, Julianna Margulies, Mayim Bialik, Steve Guttenberg, Adam Arkin, Patricia Heaton, Tovah Feldshuh, Dar Zuzovsky, Adir Miller, Bebe Neuwirth and Steven Skybell, television anchors Wolf Blitzer, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, singer Shulem Lemmer and social media influencer Montana Tucker. Participants in the event will be entertained by a musical performance from Barry Manilow and Six13. The event will also pay tribute to the late Rob Reiner, who pre-recorded a Chanukah message for survivors.

Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference, said, "This Chanukah, as we honor the extraordinary resilience of Holocaust survivors, we recognize that their lives continue to provide a living example to the world. Their courage to rebuild, remember and retell the lessons of the Holocaust is a profound gift; on this International Holocaust Survivors Night, we extend our deepest gratitude to all the survivors around the world for lighting our path forward."

Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, stated, "The Holocaust is a part of German history that can never be considered 'in the past': we cannot and must not ever regard this crime against humanity as concluded. It remains a perpetual responsibility for all of us. As the Federal Government, we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that Jewish men and women can live without fear."

Dignitaries participating include: German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz; German Finance Minister, Lars Klingbeil; State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Rolf Bösinger; U.S. State Department Special Advisor for Holocaust Issues and Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat; U.S. State Department Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Ellen Germain; Senior Bureau Official at the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Scott Lasensky; Secretary General of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Michaela Küchler; Holocaust institution leaders including Yad Vashem Chairman, Dani Dayan; U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Director, Sara J. Bloomfield; President and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – a Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City, Jack Kliger; Director of Mémorial de la Shoah, Jacques Fredj; Director of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, Germany; Uwe Neumärker; General Director at the Jewish Cultural Quarter Amsterdam, Netherlands, Emile Schrijver; Director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt, Mirjam Wenzel; and Anne Frank House Executive Director, Ronald Leopold.

Greg Schneider, Executive Vice President of the Claims Conference, said, "Holocaust survivors have shown the world what it means to transform suffering into purpose. Their resilience has not only rebuilt families and communities, but it has also strengthened humanity itself. Through their testimony, their advocacy and their unwavering commitment to truth, they continue to teach us what moral courage looks like. As we honor them, we also recognize our responsibility to ensure that Holocaust education endures so that the lessons they fought to preserve are never forgotten."

The virtual event also will feature messages of remembrance from fellow Holocaust survivors from around the world including, Holocaust survivor and Director Emeritus of the ADL, Abe Foxman;  Chairperson of the Centre of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, Ambassador Colette Avital; Executive Vice President, World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, Holocaust survivor from the Netherlands, Max Arpels Lezer; and Ella Blumenthal, a 104-year-old survivor of the Warsaw ghetto, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belson who now lives in South Africa, among others.

This year's event includes a concert with music originally arranged by 105-year-old Auschwitz survivor and conductor László Roth, as well as a candle lighting ceremony at Yad Vashem led by Holocaust survivors. After World War II, Mr. Roth resumed his musical education in Budapest. He worked as the principal conductor and was a founding member of the National Romanian Opera House, Timișoara. Over a remarkable 75-year career, Mr. Roth conducted numerous performances in South Africa, Denmark, Austria, Mexico, Israel and the United States.

All are encouraged to honor survivors locally during this year's International Holocaust Survivors Night by lighting your own candles with survivors in your community, sharing pictures and videos across all social media platforms, tagging the Claims Conference and using the hashtag #IHSN2025.

International Holocaust Survivors Night started nearly 10 years ago as the only date on the calendar celebrating Holocaust survivors and honoring them for their sacrifice and continued contributions to the world. Every year, the event concludes with an official menorah lighting ceremony in honor of Holocaust survivors at the Kotel in Israel. Initial ceremonies were held in Israel, the United States and Germany. In subsequent years, the celebration has evolved into a virtual event, attracting participants from nearly 20 countries across six continents.

The event is free and can be viewed from anywhere in the world. To join thousands of survivors, caretakers, family and friends, please click the link below on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 2 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. GMT / 9 p.m. Israel time: www.Claimscon.org/SurvivorsNight2025

SOURCE Claims Conference